96 COTTAGE OR PROVINCIAL TYPES

Pennsylvania German. The German settlers in Pennsylvania
naturally created homes as much as possible like those they had
left in Germany and Switzerland. By 1750 they were well estab-
lished and had built substantial houses, the main feature of which
was a great hall or living room-kitchen. The fireplace crowned
by an enormous log mantel was used for cooking, but heat was
provided also by iron stoves, which were often decorated with
biblical scenes cast in the iron.

The chief distinction of Pennsylvania Gerrpan furniture was its
colorful, painted decoration. It was generally made of walnut,
but oak and pine were used occasionally. The furniture was like
the German but had an American freedom in its decorative de-
tails. It was strong but not too bulky. Its ornamentation often
consisted of turning and molding*

In the living rooms were large dressers which were open above
to hold pewter and pottery, and closed below to form cupboards.
Tables were of various kinds, including saw-buck tables, long oak
refectory tables, tables with low stretchers, and round-topped,
splay-legged tables. The chairs also had considerable variety, in-
cluding solid panel-back, vase splat-back, and banister-back chairs,
in addition to a well-known European peasant chair with raked
legs and a solid, shaped back. See page 103.

Among the most interesting textiles of the Pennsylvania Ger-
mans was the hand-woven coverlet made by the traveling weaver,
who carried his own book of designs. He lived with a family
while he wove for them. Embroidered samplers and long home-
spun towels decorated with cross-stitching were hung on the walls
as decorations. Fraktur work was illuminated handwriting used
on birth, marriage, and death certificates, hymn books, and cards..
Birds and tulips were favorite motifs for this work, as the bird
represented the spirit and the tulip was the symbol of love.

One of the most famous Pennsylvania Germans, Henry William
Stiegel, established the first flint or lead glass factory in this coun-
try in 1763 and sold his fine glass in all the Colonies*

The Pennsylvania Museum of Philadelphia has installed excellent
original rooms and furnishings of the Pennsylvania Germans* Most
of the information given here comes from the publications of the
Pennsylvania Museum and the Pennsylvania German Folkldre So-
ciety of Allentown, Pennsylvania.